TABULATION OP FOLKTALES. 143
wild boar, dogs after it, come crashing by her, followed by riders, Maria swoons with fright, king nearly tramples on her, calls huntsmen to see to her, tells them to carry her to the palace, they do this, and restore her to consciousness. When king comes home he goes to see her, pities her pro- fessed poverty and loneliness, asks if there is any service she can do in the household. Steward suggests she shall help scullions. Maria thankfully accepts. Scullions and turnspit complain of having old woman to help, and determine to get all they can out of her. Maria hard worked and hardly treated. (7) Carnival comes. Every servant has license to don a domino. Maria takes advantage, locks herself in loft where she sleeps, gets out of wooden disguise, puts on dress of stars, goes to ball. No one dares ask her to dance except the king, he overawed by grace and dignity dares not ask her whence she comes. She goes early unperceived. (8) Goes second night in moonbeam dress. King asks why she left them so early the night before, she says she has to be up early, so goes early. He is incredulous, and per- sists in his attempts to find her out. She evades them, and again withdraws unperceived, by inverting the folds of her garment. (9) Third night she goes to ball in sunbeam dress, chandeliers paled by brilliancy, king at her side at once, uses every endeavour to find out who she is. She evades all his devices but gives him a hope, by asking him to try on a ring, which, she tells him, has never fitted any one yet. She puts up ring again and withdraws unobserved, but though she has turned the sunbeams inwards, the guards whom the king has stationed at every exit recognise her, and follow her so closely that she has to divert their attention by unthreading string of pearls on the ground, escapes while they are gathering up treasure. (10) King in such despair at her disappearance that he shuts himself up in dark room and weeps the days away, can scarcely be induced to take the simplest food. Kitchen-folk reduced to inactivity. At last physicians are called in, it is reported, who say his desponding state will be fatal if means are not found to rouse him. (11) Lent passing away, Easter at hand, Maria satisfied with his constancy makes a cake into which she puts ring and takes it to queen- mother, assures her that if the king will eat the whole of the cake he will be cured, but if he should give any away the virtue may be lost (this for fear he should give away ring). Ladies in waiting laugh, but queen says there may be something in it, takes cake to king, he takes no notice, but they give him cake for all his meals. (12) When he cuts it his knife strikes against something hard, he discovers and recognises ring, starts like one awakening from a trance, asks how ring came there, queen-mother tells him certain old woman whom he befriended brought cake saying it would be a remedy for his melancholy. He sends for her, she cannot be found, king nearly relapses into former state. (13) Sends for all the goldsmiths, refiners, and alchemists of his kingdom to find out what they can by ring itself. Head alchemist says ring is made of gold from afar, workmanship is of kingdoms of west, characters on it show that owner is princess of high degree, whose dominions greatly exceed his own. (14) More diligent search for Maria, who thinks it
